Pucker Up
by Genie For Your Wish
Summary: Kisses were the autograph of love. — GrayErza.
1. Attention

Welcome to my rendition of the 30 Kisses challenge, GrayZa style. These are all drabbles/vignettes, and thus are very short. I hope you guys enjoy reading this just as much as I have had writing it. Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

 _Theme #1: Look Over Here_

* * *

He was at his wit's end. All day his attempts to get her alone or grab her attention for even a second had proven futile. Their supposed day-off, which meant a date alone together, was pushed aside when suddenly _everyone_ needed Erza's assistance.

Of course he knew very well that Erza's help was greatly advantageous and had thus allowed her to go, but he had eventually snapped when he learned of some of the things his friends needed help with. They were downright ridiculous. Getting Erza to do an errand for Gramps or signing something he could understand, but asking her to seduce someone?

That's where he drew the line.

There were other people in the guild who could do that, like Lucy or Cana, so why Erza then? He suspected it was because of her highly desired Seduction Armor, which he of course restricted the usage of unless it was with him. Since it was clearly going to be used with someone else he had to stop that from happening while he still could.

So the ice mage strode decisively toward the requip mage, who had yet to acknowledge his presence, and paused right behind her close enough for her to notice him. He leaned over to whisper into her ear.

"I think you should look over here for once," he whispered huskily, pulling back as she twirled right into his arms.

She looked up at him in slight confusion, mouth parted to ask a question, when he cut her off with his own cool lips.

"Mmph–"

The kiss was shorter than either would have liked, only lasting for a few seconds ("It was a peck!" Erza would later retort) before Gray had pulled back, a smug smirk playing on his lips.

And _that_ was how you grabbed Erza's attention.


	2. Valediction

_Theme #2: News; Letter_

* * *

"To end off the letter you could put 'Yours Sincerely' or 'Kind Regards' or even 'Love from' depending on what sort of letter you're writing," Lucy explained to the rapt redhead beside her.

Erza greedily absorbed this newfound information, making note of it in her memory bank as she eagerly awaited for more. Writing a letter seemed so fascinating to her. She had never really written that many, and those that she had written were apology letters formally addressed to the Magic Council.

This particular letter however, was far more personal and much more meaningful. She wished it to appear as more than just words on a piece of paper and instead as a window of her heart and a messenger for her soul.

"So Lucy, say that if you were to end off the letter with 'Love from' would you write something else apart from your name?" She posed this question carefully, trying to make it seem more hypothetical.

Lucy tapped a finger to her chin in thought, carefully thinking through her question. "Well most people I've seen to use that method of signing off usually put 'XOXO' after their names."

Erza raised a delicate eyebrow in curiosity. "XOXO? What does that mean?"

"X stands for a kiss, and O stands for a hug. So XOXO would mean 'kiss, hug, kiss, hug'."

The requip mage took this information in her stride, noting that this would be a must have in her letter. Hopefully he would be able to understand it.

"But this is all just hypothetical, right Erza? It's not as if _you're_ the one writing a love letter to someone right? You did say that this was for the Council," Lucy added, looking a bit sheepish.

Erza nodded in affirmation. "Yes. This is all hypothetical Lucy."

* * *

Later that day, Gray Fullbuster received a strange letter in his mailbox. Placed in a scarlet red envelope which reminded him a of a certain someone, the letter was written on some fanciful paper which he swore he remembered seeing at Lucy's place.

Opening up the letter, he was impressed to see that the handwriting was especially neat and easily comprehensible, unlike the loopy writing he'd often seen in Juvia's letters addressed to him. This gave him a feeling of comfort, reassuring him that this was not written by the water mage but someone else.

Briefly skimming through the letter to jump to the sender's signing off, he frowned when he noticed that there was no name, only three X's.

" _XXX?_ What the hell does that even mean?"


	3. Bruise

_Theme #3: Jolt!_

* * *

"Hey Gray," a curious blonde began, eyeing the fading bruise on the centre of his forehead. It wasn't very large but it wasn't very small either, and was a shade a little darker than his fair skin. Lucy had never noticed it before until now, when the unusual parting of his raven hair made the small bruise visible.

"Hmm?" came his nonchalant reply, too distracted by a mop of red hair standing behind his companion, currently engaged in conversation.

"How'd you get that bruise on your forehead?" She pointed directly to where she had seen it.

Gray went silent for a few moments, uncomprehending and still distracted, until he realised what she had asked. His reaction was immediate; he sharply turned his head away as he coughed loudly into his hand, his cheeks beginning to redden. Lucy raised a questioning eyebrow at this, having never seen the mage look so embarrassed.

"Well?" she prodded, very curious now.

"It's a long story," he tried to brush off, memories beginning to unwillingly flow into his mind.

It had happened around a week ago, when Erza had come back from a mission looking particularly fatigued. She had immediately fallen asleep as a result, leaving the rest of the guild feeling as though they were walking on eggshells. No one wanted to disturb her, partly because she was injured and needed the rest, but more because they feared the consequences of waking her. Obviously Mira hadn't shared that same sentiment when she continuously prodded at Gray to wake her since she needed to close the hall soon. It had only been the three of them left, and being the only other conscious one, Gray rationalised that he was the only one suited for the job (apart from Mira of course).

He didn't know why he had given in so easily but there he was, quietly approaching the couch that Erza was sleeping on. The couch had been a new addition to the hall after Mira's insistence, and it had become a great hit with the members, so much in fact that there needed to be a roster of who was to take the couch that day. Originally it had been Lucy's day on the couch, but after seeing the redhead looking so exhausted she had offered it to her instead as Wendy began to work her magic.

Gray paused for a moment as he stared at the sleeping mage, entranced by the peacefulness she displayed. It was true what he had said before. After seeing her so peaceful when she was sleeping like this, it was only then that he had realised just how pretty the girl was, not that he hadn't noticed before but to this extent it was new. When he heard Mira's soft giggles nearby however, he immediately snapped out of his trance as he bent over her sleeping form, slowly leaning his face forward.

Mira had suggested this method of waking her, and despite his initial reluctance it had looked all the more promising as he continued to move his face closer to hers. Closing his eyes tightly he gently closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers.

His lips had barely brushed against hers when he was suddenly hit by a wave of inscrutable pain that had sent him reeling back and falling to the floor as he attempted to numb the pain he felt on his forehead with his ice. Gah, he cursed to himself, did Erza have armor on her forehead too?

Mira, who had been watching the entire time, had been utterly amused by the turn of events. Initially squealing to herself when their lips had touched, her squeals turned into light giggles when she noticed Erza suddenly jolt up on the couch, her eyes widened and her posture unnaturally stiff. She ended up head butting the ice mage in the process, Mira having heard a loud bang during the contact.

The redhead sat blankly for a few moments before she reached full consciousness, her brown eyes sweeping her surroundings. Noticing Gray's balled figure on the ground and Mira giggling to herself beside him, she could only raise an eyebrow in bewilderment.

"Mira, what is going on? Why is Gray on the floor?"

Suppressing her giggles after much difficultly the barmaid could only reply, "He's just feeling the effects of something great. You don't need to worry about him."

The effects of something great alright, he could only mutter bitterly to himself. He would never forget that day, not even if he tried.

"Gray?" Lucy called for the third time, noticing him space out.

He shook his head to wipe away the thoughts, finally realising Lucy's presence. He pointed to his bruise with a mysterious smile on his face.

"This bruise right? It's nothing. It was just the effect of something great."


	4. Wait

_Theme #4: Our Distance and That Person_

* * *

It had been five days, fourteen hours, twenty nine minutes, and six seconds (and counting) since he had gone on that solo mission to eradicate the source of the destruction exacted upon a neighbouring merchant town, and Erza was still impatiently waiting for his return.

Despite her insistence for her to join him he had flatly refused, firmly stating that since the source had been described as having used fire magic, his ice would be a perfect counter resistance since no flame was hotter than Natsu's. Of course she had argued that her Sea Empress Armor could also extinguish the flames, but Gray was persistent that he do the mission alone, Erza suspecting that the prime suspect may be connected to Zeref and his demons. After much persuasion and bribery with a whole month's supply of strawberry cheesecake the redhead had reluctantly given in, the decision becoming one she deeply regretted.

Waiting had never been so agonising for her before. Having never been a patient person from the very start, the entire waiting process had become synonymous with the cruelest torture she had ever experienced. Anxiety had gripped at her nerves, worry for the mage's safety taking over her entirety. Thoughts of the worst happening had consumed her mind, so much in fact that she had not achieved a fitful eight hours of slumber, void of horrific nightmares, for the past week.

Erza paced the guild for the umpteenth time that week, her posture especially rigid and her features contorted into a semi-permanent frown as she bit her lip. Where the hell was he?

The redhead had been so determined to welcome the mage the moment he got home that she had refused to take on any job requests, fearing that he may return while she was away. Of course she had not expected the mission to drag out so long, only expecting three days to be the maximum. But it was now five, and Erza decided that the moment the ice mage got home, she would give him the worst beating of his life as punishment for taking so long and making her worry.

It was only when the creaking sound of the wooden door opening that her head whipped up as fast as lightning to process who had entered. Her honey brown eyes settled upon the bruised and battered, yet still standing, figure of the ice mage she had been impatiently waiting for, her breath hitching when she realised that it was really him.

"Gray?" a few mutters from the rest of the guild sounded, but Erza paid no heed as she immediately darted to where the ice mage was, not willing to wait a second longer. She was not normally one for public displays of affection, but this was an exception.

Gray was sure that the wind had been knocked out of him, for the second he had opened the doors of the guild hall, he had been unceremoniously pounced upon by a flash of red that was currently squeezing the life out of him. Gray only registered the feeling of cool armor pressed against his skin, and a pair of tightly sound arms wrapped around his entire torso as a head rested against his chest. He peered down at the figure, relief washing through his veins when he comprehended the requip mage's presence. He would rather have not been in anyone else's presence.

Erza pressed herself closely against Gray, tightening her hold around his waist as she took in a small whiff of his scent, sighing when the familiar smell of pine trees and mint entered her nostrils. It was Gray alright. And he was alive, back in her arms where he belonged.

"You're finally here," she muttered quietly against his chest, moving her head up to look straight into his eyes.

They gazed into each other's eyes for only a moment, before Erza broke the connection by pushing herself up to press her lips against his. Their lips crashed in a flurry of urgency, the need to rekindle the time lost and bridge the distance that had separated the two as soon as possible. Gray wrapped his arms around Erza, pulling her closer against him as she moved her hands up to play with his tousled raven hair.

It was only when they heard the loud cough of someone in the guild that they had both come to their senses and broke apart, looking rather flushed from the heated exchange.

"You took longer than I expected," she remarked in mock disappointment, her arms still wrapped around him.

Gray looked down at her with a tired smirk. "Sorry about that. I just wanted to play with them a little."


	5. Confession

_Theme #5: "Ano sa..." ("Hey, you know...")_

* * *

Cana gazed unimpressively at the frustrated ice mage who was ruining her Happy Hour by venting to her about his relationship problems. Normally Cana didn't really mind listening to his rants, often finding them as a source of entertainment, but Gray was ruining her quality drinking time and it was making her on edge.

"Gray," she tried calling for the umpteenth time that evening, her attempt proving unsuccessful once again.

The ice mage was not listening, too wrapped up in his worries to even begin to comprehend what was happening outside of his brain. He had decided to confess his feelings for Erza once and for all but he had not figured out how yet. Normally he would ask Loke or even Mira on matters like these but seeing as how Loke was on a date and Mira was out on a trip with her younger siblings, the only one he could turn to was Cana, who had given him some pretty decent advice on several occasions. But Cana had yet to say a word, which only led him to freaking out even more.

Gray couldn't just go up to the girl and say he liked her, nor could he try to use the whole overly romantic approach because he knew Erza, and Erza didn't like over the top things. Which was pretty ironic considering that she went overboard oftentimes herself. However the redhead instead preferred simplicity over everything when it came to gifts or the like. But the question remained, how was he supposed to make his confession simple in the first place? He didn't want to plainly confess to her because that was too generic and far too insincere for his liking. Yet he didn't want to spurt out an entire speech that was too cheesy for even him to say instead.

Why was confessing so hard?

"What should I say to her? I can't just say 'Hey Erza, I like you'. She might beat me up. But then I don't want to do any of that poetry bullshit either. It's stupid and cheesy. Damn it, why the fuck is confessing so fucking difficult?" he ranted to himself rather loudly, fists clenched at his sides as he paced in front of the bar, his eyebrows knitted. Gray was so close to pulling his hair out from all the stress this stupid confession was giving him. Sometimes he wished that the guys never had to make the first move.

"'Erza, I like you. I have liked you ever since I was a snot nosed brat who you kept beating the shit out of as a kid.' No wait, that sounded so stupid. How about this? 'Erza, will you do me the honor of going out with me?' Shit, that sounds like a fucking _proposal_ now. Argh, Cana! For crying out loud, why won't you say something?" he finally exploded, abruptly pausing mid step to glare heatedly at the annoyed card mage, his face flushed a furious red.

Cana rolled her eyes, about to reply when she noticed a spectator behind him who had been watching the entire exchange silently. Smirking to herself, she diverted her attention back to Gray as she swirled her mug of beer.

"Hey Gray, you know that Erza heard the whole thing right?" she said casually, noting how both mages in question went rigid.

Whipping his head around, Gray almost sunk to the ground when he noticed the armored figure of one Erza Scarlet. Her expression was unreadable, but she was staring at him right in the eye, her gaze almost eerily piercing through him. Gray gulped in nervousness. Shit, she had heard the whole thing. What's going to happen to him now? This was definitely _not_ how the confession was supposed to go.

"Erza," he acknowledged with a parched throat, his voice barely resounding.

The redhead in question cocked her head to the side in acknowledgement. "Gray," she replied, nodding her head slightly.

He swallowed his saliva. "You heard all that?" he squeaked, his face going as white as a sheet.

Erza nodded in affirmation. "Every last word."

That was definitely not what he was hoping for. Gray was certain he saw his life flash before his eyes as he made a futile attempt to smooth over the conversation and brush it off as a joke.

"Well you see, it was a–"

The male was cut off by the feeling of soft lips pressing lightly against his cheek before she pulled back with an almost shy smile. "Pick me up at seven," she told him softly before leaving the bewildered mage rooted to his spot.

Dumbly, Gray raised a hand to the cheek she kissed, a bright pink blush painting his face. He was frozen in shock and disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened and if it even happened at all and wasn't just a figment of his deluded imagination.

Cana on the other hand, could only smirk to herself. Well that takes care of that.


	6. Fantasy

_Theme #6: The Space Between Dream and Reality_

* * *

She watched as the fireworks shot into the sky, bursting into a multicolored explosion of sparks that had left her heart hammering against her chest. The awe and amazement of watching the sky light up from the technicolor bursts had overcome her senses, so much in fact that she had not heard the approaching footsteps coming from behind her.

"So there you are. I was wondering where you went you know. You sorta scared me for a second there." The low baritone voice, synonymous to music, jingled in her ears as she whipped around to face the love of her life, a content sigh escaping her lips before she could stop it.

She smiled softly to herself, touched by his concern. However she said nothing in response, opting to let the silence blanket them both as the fireworks sparked in the background.

He stared lovingly into her eyes, taking her into her arms as a thought crossed his mind. "You know, this reminds me a lot of those romantic books Lucy always reads."

Raising an eyebrow at this she asked, "How so?"

He nodded. "Well if I remember correctly, first the guy would take her into his arms," he tightened his hold on her waist, "and then he would lean down," he slowly leaned down to get closer to her lips, her heart pounding rapidly against her chest, "before he would claim her lips with his underneath the fireworks," he whispered, softly capturing her soft lips with his.

She sighed into his arms, weaving her hands into his hair to softly play with the gentle strands as he pulled her closer to him, softly tugging open her lips to slip his tongue into her wet cavern. She moaned in pleasure at the action as he slowly twirled his tongue around hers. "Gray-sama," she moaned into his mouth.

"Juvia," he replied when they finally separated to regain their breaths. As she panted heavily, her cheeks flushed from their passionate kiss, he looked down at her with his tender gaze.

"I love you _Erza_."

Juvia bolted upright when she realised what he had said, her mind whirling with thoughts. _Erza-san? Why was Gray-sama saying Erza-san's name?_ she asked herself in puzzlement, before finally taking note of her surroundings. The pale blue walls, the navy draperies, the Gray-sama plush dolls by her bedside, she was in her room.

The water mage laughed bitterly to herself. That's right. It was all just a dream, she brushed off casually before she remembered something that caused her to let slip a few tears, yet it _wasn't_. The exact scene she had dreamt of had indeed happened, except it hadn't been between her and Gray-sama, rather between a certain redhead and him instead. And she had been unfortunate enough to witness the entire intimate exchange happen right before her very eyes as she hid behind some bushes that night.

"That's right. Gray-sama loves Erza-san, not Juvia," she muttered to herself before she wiped away her tears determinedly. She shook her head, taking deep breaths to calm herself. She had already done her share of grieving. Now she would not let the sky cry again.


	7. Scandal

_Theme #7: Superstar_

* * *

"So you're sure that this will remove my superstar resident heartthrob status?" he asked for the nth time that morning, skepticism clouding his thoughts.

She rolled her eyes but affirmed the question with a firm nod. "Yes Gray. This will work. The only way to get girls to stop liking you is to break their hearts, and what better way than to cause a dating scandal?"

Gray sighed, realising the truth in her words. He didn't want to do this since he usually flinched at the sight of crying girls, but it had gone on long enough. He valued his freedom, and clearly these girls weren't giving it to him.

It had started almost a month ago, when Sorcerer Weekly published their newest issue that had Gray on the front cover in all his shirtless glory. He had naively accepted the offer from Jason, thinking that he would only be featured in a smaller article, but to his utter bemusement he had found himself plastered on the very front cover for all to see.

As a result, Sorcerer Weekly's revenue shot up and his fanclub grew larger than the original one member. Apparently his issue had raked in so much profit that Sorcerer Weekly had insisted on him signing a contract with them to which he had declined almost immediately. The effects of the issue had been almost instantaneous as Fairy Tail's ice mage rose to newer heights, becoming Magnolia's resident heartthrob.

So now apart from having a heap of girls trailing him daily, paparazzi watching his every move, and an endless supply of heart shaped chocolates, he also had no freedom whatsoever. He could not speak to any of his female friends as his fanclub would immediately hunt them down, nor could he take any jobs as his fanclub had complained to Gramps that he would get injured. He was getting babied by a group of girls he didn't even know, and he didn't have the heart to say no since he was just _that_ nice of a guy.

Which was what led him to take drastic measures by asking Erza for help. Normally he would've asked Loke, Mira, or Cana for help since they would know what to do, but they only seemed to want to encourage the girls and would often offer up dates in exchange for something else without his consent. So without anyone else to turn to, he ended up turning to his strict friend who he was sure would know what to do.

What he didn't expect however, was for her to create such a warped plan that he thought only Mira could think of. Perhaps their years of rivalry had caused Mira to rub off on Erza, and _not_ in a good way. Erza had suggested to create a dating scandal by having him kiss another girl in public where the paparazzi and his fanclub could see him. It would make the headlines and would have so much impact that eventually the girls would find someone new to fawn over.

While it did seem kinda crazy, Gray had to admit that it was pretty sound logic. The only problem was who would he be able to kiss? It wasn't like he could kiss just anyone, not when the girls could potentially tear the girl into shreds. So when Erza had suggested herself, he almost fainted in shock. Erza? Erza was volunteering herself to kiss him? Who could even comprehend _that_?

Not he, that was for sure. When he had asked why, she simply reasoned that no one would be daring enough to cross her, which he had to full-heartedly agree with. No one, not even Juvia, would dare harm Erza. With an added bonus of her being one of his closest friends, Erza was a shoe-in for the role.

Left with no way to argue, he had reluctantly complied, becoming a little excited for what was to transpire. He would be lying if he said that he didn't find Erza the least bit attractive, and that he may have, sort have, may _still_ do, have a crush on her. So maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

"Are you ready Gray?" Erza asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He sighed but nodded, a little more than ready. As if a switch had been flicked, a lazy smirk stretched upon his features as he eyed the redhead who had sauntered toward him, Gray noting that her hips had a gentle sway to them as she walked. Lights, camera, action.

"Hey Erza," he greeted, watching as her lips slowly quirked into a smile.

"Gray," she greeted back before her eyes flitted around, searching for a camera or any of the girls. She almost smirked when she noticed them conspicuously hidden behind some bushes nearby. Phase One was complete, now for Phase Two.

Without warning Erza wrapped her slender arms around his chiseled torso, Gray responding by wrapping his own arms around hers. "They're here," she whispered quietly, Gray wiggling an eyebrow as a reply.

"I guess we shouldn't make our audience wait any longer," he whispered back before Erza pulled his head down to meet hers.

Fluttering her eyes shut, she closed the gap between them, her lips meeting his in what was supposed to be a friendly peck. But she hadn't expected his lips to feel so warm against hers, a feeling too good for her to end so soon.

So she didn't.

Instead she held his head in place before nibbling on his bottom lip. This elicited a soft groan from the ice mage, prompting her to try and get his mouth open. However before she could even think of getting any farther the sound of loud wails caused them to pull away abruptly.

"Gray-sama!"

"No! Gray-kun!"

"Those lips were supposed to be mine!"

The two mages looked at each other blankly, still rather dazed from their kiss. It had gotten a lot more passionate than they initially planned, but they weren't complaining.

"Well I guess it worked," Erza muttered more to herself, a little annoyed.

"Yeah, I guess it did," he remarked, still in a daze.


	8. Tryst

_Theme #8: Our Own World_

* * *

The riverbank had always been their place. It was where he had found her crying, and it was where she had bared her heart to him. It was the very place where the seeds of their friendship were planted, and it was the very place where those seeds sprouted into something more.

It was the only place where they could fully immerse themselves in the love they had for each other, no longer having to hide behind longing gazes and lingering touches out in public. The riverbank was where their tryst had always been set, underneath the setting sun with only the eternally flowing river as their witnesses.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," the ice mage remarked, tightening his hold on the redhead. She had an arm wrapped snugly around his built torso, and had her head settled comfortably on his shoulder as she gazed on at the river, listening to rhythmic beating o his heart.

Her eyes glistened in sorrow when his remark reached her ears. "You know we can't," she replied in a hushed tone, trying to hide the sadness in her voice.

But he knew her well, and he knew that she too shared the same sentiments. Yet it was nothing more than a fleeting dream, one that could never be caught no matter how hard they tried. "But no one says that we can't wish for it."

She nodded against his shoulder. "I guess you're right."

A welcomed silence washed upon the two as they took their time to simply appreciate the beauty of the sunset and relish in the rare times they ever had alone together. After getting caught up in trying to maintain the web of lies they had so carefully constructed, it was getting harder and harder for their meetings to continue. But it was okay. They had each other, in their own world, and that was all that mattered.

"Gray-sama!" a worried call from afar resounded, signalling the end of their already short meeting.

Pulling away reluctantly they shared a long sorrowful gaze, one that communicated their mutual guilt as the constraints of reality finally caught up to them. "I guess you should go now," Erza said softly, trying to mask the pain behind a solemn facade.

"Just know that I love you," he replied, equally as hurt as he placed a hand to her cheek, rubbing soft circles to comfort her.

"Gray-sama!" they heard the call again, signalling that it really was the end.

"You really should go," Erza pushed, slowly getting up from the ground.

Gray pulled her up, tugging her closer to him in the process. Before she could protest he pressed his cool lips against her forehead, applying extra pressure to try and reassure her. She fluttered her eyes closed, immersing herself in the tingly feeling his lips always brought about. He pulled away after a few seconds, relaying a silent message of apology with his eyes.

"Don't worry about it," she replied, "and I love you too," she whispered quietly to herself as she watched his retreating figure get enveloped into a pair of arms that did not belong to her.

She looked away when she saw him lean down to kiss her, too overwhelmed by the pain that was clawing at her heart. That's right. To others he had someone else, as did she when the sight of messy blue hair and a red tattoo greeted her mere seconds later.

But to them, they only had each other. They may have been with different people, but their hearts always beat as one, with their only witness being the eternally flowing river.


	9. Ingredient

_Theme #9: Dash_

* * *

She held a hand up to knock on the wood of his door. "Gray!" she called, her fist pounding against the mahogany with three loud thumps.

The shuffling of footsteps alerted the redhead of his incoming presence as she took a step back, the door swinging open to reveal a shirtless Gray with nothing but a towel hanging loosely around his waist. Seeing the ice mage in the nude was no new experience, however seeing him with a towel that was threatening to drop, that was something that made her breath catch. She found herself having to restrain her eyes from traveling downward, steeling her eyes to focus on his face— a rather _attractive_ face, she added as an afterthought.

"Hey Erza. Let me just dress up first before we go," he greeted as he allowed her to shuffle in. She nodded in understanding, deciding to make herself comfortable as she waited.

As Gray stalked off to the privacy of his room, Erza looked around to admire his house. She had been inside numerous times before but the cleanliness of his house never failed to amaze her. Everything was neatly stowed away and the floor was free of crumbs or stray bits of clothing she had no doubt Gray had lying around; it was quite the contrast to Natsu's own unbearably messy house. Whilst her eyes wondered, they came across a bright pink box settled on the dining table, still unopened. This caught her attention.

Curious, the redhead moved toward the box, only to find the box akin to a box of chocolates normally found during Valentine's Day, decorated with numerous darker pink hearts and fancy lettering. She had no doubt as to whom the chocolates came from, it was far too obvious for her to ignore.

Now normally the requip mage would walk away and leave the chocolates be, seeing as though they were not hers to touch. However as her eyes gazed at the chocolates, she felt herself growing hungrier by the minute, the chocolates seemingly calling her name. She was notorious for her sweet tooth and this time proved no different when she found herself unable to resist the calling, Erza deciding to take one chocolate. He wouldn't notice, nor would he mind. It was only one teensy chocolate after all. She quickly looked back to check if the ice mage was still preoccupied, and finding that he was turned her attention back to the box.

Swiftly, she opened the lid in one movement, almost drooling when the sight of assorted chocolates greeted her. Each coated in stripes of vanilla icing unique to their own, Erza's mouth watered. With no time to waste, she picked up a chocolate and popped it into her mouth, moaning in pleasure as the chocolatey goodness ravished her taste buds. It was creamy and sweet, enough to make her long for more.

So she took two more before placing the lid back onto the box and stepping away as though nothing had happened, the taste of the chocolates still overwhelming her taste buds. She had never tasted something so sweet before. They were so delicious that she felt a though they could replace her strawberry cheesecake sometime.

The sound of the door opening snapped her out of her trance as she pulled on a cool facade, watching as Gray stepped out dressed in a white coat and some black pants. What caught her attention however was the towel he used to dry his hair. She could not comprehend why, but suddenly she found the action oddly arousing, a thought she would never admit out loud.

"Sorry for making you wait. So what's the new mission?" he asked her, drying out his wet hair as he spoke.

Erza stood dazedly as she watched the water droplets fling from his hair, the urge to suddenly run her hands through those wet raven locks threatening to overcome her rational thoughts. Just a little closer and she could touch it...

She cleared her throat. "It's fine Gray. I decided to take the mission of investigating the raids of bandits on a nearby merchant town. It is simple and pays well," she said as calmly as she could, her breath hitching when Gray walked closer to see the job request form. Now that he was standing so close, the urge to touch his hair had become increasingly stronger. If she just moved her hand she could almost touch it— and so she did.

Without warning she reached out to place a hand in his hair, sighing as the softness of his hair brought tingles to her body. It was just as soft as she had thought, feeling like freshly mown grass or the fur of a cutely stuffed pushed toy beneath her fingers. She could run her hands through his hair all day.

Gray went rigid at the sudden gesture, his eyes dilating considerably in shock. He stiffly turned his head around to see what was happening, only to have the daylights knocked out of him when he saw Erza smiling contently to herself as she ran his fingers through his hair. Before he could ask what was going on, a soft moan escaped his lips as the feeling of her fingers running through his hair caught up to him, feeling remarkably pleasurable. _Wow_ , _I never knew Erza had such skill_ , he remarked inwardly, too caught up in the moment.

"Erza," he said huskily, trying to snap himself out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?" she replied, a little too distracted.

Trying to gather as much conscious thought as he could he questioned, "What are you doing?"

"I'm running my fingers through your hair. Did you know that you have incredibly soft hair? I could do this all day."

His eyes widened, before his face contorted into a frown. He pulled away soon after, flinching when he was met with a menacing glare. _But she would thank me for this_ , he thought, she clearly wasn't thinking like herself.

"Erza, we have a mission to go on remember? But since you're acting a little strangely, maybe we could do it another day," he suggested, hoping she would take the bait.

He felt her anger fluctuate. "I'm fine Gray. I know how much you were looking forward to doing this mission, just the two of us, alone with no distractions, and I am not letting you down," she snapped, a little annoyed at the loss of contact with his hair. She was enjoying that!

Gray fought to keep the blush down when he realized what she had said. "Hey! I never said that!" he protested, feeling a little embarrassed. Damn it, she caught on to that?

She smirked smugly. "You didn't have to. Now are we going to get going or do you want to stay here to spend some quality time with me?"

His eyebrows shot up in in disbelief. "Huh?"

"I said should we go now or should we just stay here and continue where we left off," she replied snappily, a little ticked at having to repeat herself.

"Where we left off?" he repeated lowly, his voice slightly cracking. What was she doing to him?

She nodded. "Yes, let me demonstrate."

Without warning, she wound her arms around his neck as she pulled herself flush against him, almost gasping when the sensation their contact caught up to her. He felt good, she thought in approval, impressed by his well toned chest. She slowly snaked her hands up to rest in his hair where a content sigh escaped her lips, glad to feel them beneath her fingers.

Gray on the other hand, stood stock still at the abrupt intimacy, his mind going hazy as his skin tingled against hers. He had never been so close to her before, and he could feel her bosom pressed up against his, a realization that had stirred something inside of him. He gulped. Thank Mavis he was still fully clothed. He didn't know what he would do if it were bare skin against bare skin.

As if reading his thoughts, the requip mage pulled away, only to begin to lift her shirt. It was only when he saw her pale stomach that comprehension finally dawned. Immediately, he reached out to grab her wrists, stopping her in her tracks. What the _fuck_ was she doing? Was she trying to make his life harder?

"What are you doing?" he croaked out, trying to keep an inch of his sanity.

"It's hot," she casually replied, "I'm just taking off my clothes. You should too you know. You look red."

She was referring to the bright red blush that had him looking like a ripened tomato. He looked away in embarrassment, trying to keep a level head as he kept his hold on her wrist. "It's not hot, and I'm not taking off my clothes. Neither should you for that matter."

She frowned. "What's wrong with me taking off my clothes? You do it all the time," she pointed out.

 _What's wrong is that you don't know what it's going to do to me woman_ , he shouted internally.

"It's a habit. Besides you're clearly not yourself today so I'm not letting you do anything irrational," he replied sternly, hoping that his voice hadn't wavered.

Her frown only deepened. "What's so irrational about taking my clothes off? This is irrational."

With that, she took hold of his face and was about to crash her lips with his when Gray suddenly pushed her away, knowing what she was attempting to do. The sight of her face inching toward his had only kicked in his instincts to move away, an action he knew would leave him with a ton of regrets. But that was close. Any later and they would've kissed, something he knew he wouldn't have entirely minded, however perhaps she would.

Erza almost stamped her foot, angry that he had foiled her plans. Those lips were calling for her! And she was going to answer their call no matter what.

Noticing her change in attitude, Gray gulped as he made the move to back away, only to bump into a table behind him. Frowning, he looked down to see the chocolate box from earlier that day. His eyes flicked back to Erza, who was slowly sauntering toward him while licking her lips, before it flicked back to the box with a looming suspicion. Quickly, he opened the box to find three chocolates clearly missing, and if he knew any better, Erza had eaten them. Perhaps that was why she was acting so strangely. But why?

Out of curiosity, he turned the box around to check the ingredients list, only to gape at it in horror.

"A dash of _aphrodisiac_?!"


	10. First

_Theme #10: #10_

* * *

Her eyes blazed in fury. "Number ten? Why am I number _ten_ on your list?" she shouted, cheeks turning as red as her hair. She waved the piece of paper with an angered flourish, fixating a glare on the stiff ice mage.

He could only watch her in conflicting feelings of fear and confusion. Why was she shouting at him? An angry Erza was not one to be messed with, he of all people knew that well, but he had the right to know why he was suddenly being victim to one of her tirades.

"Number ten for what? And what list?" he asked calmly, willing himself not to flinch.

But his efforts proved futile when the redhead's ire seemed to only heighten, Gray feeling her flames of anger at full force. Now she was truly dangerous, and he feared for his life.

"What list you dare to ask me Gray Fullbuster? _This_ list!"

She threw the paper in his face with such power he was sure he could have been injured, had his quick reflexes not acted in time for him to safely catch the document. He looked down to scan the contents of the paper, words barely comprehensible thanks to the wrinkles caused by Erza's furious grip. But he could just make out the basic gist of the document, and he felt his incredulity grow.

This? This was why Erza was getting so pissed at him? While it amused him to no end that Erza was getting so riled up over something as petty as this, which might he add, had never thought it possible, he knew that she was truly hurt. The handwriting had definitely been his, but it had been written ages ago, long before they were romantically acquainted. Yet Erza had misunderstood completely, and it was his job as her loyal, doting lover that he appease her feelings of insecurity. This would be an easy fix he decided, as long as she decided to listen.

Meanwhile Erza fumed in front of him, foot tapping impatiently against the wooden flooring. She was too consumed by rage to notice that the male had finished reading, and had gotten up to make his way toward her. When she finally noticed his close presence, she fixated a cold glare up at him as he stared down at her, expression unreadable.

"Well?" she demanded, frustrated that he wasn't showing any obvious signs of regret or repentance. That bastard.

Instead of a vocal response, she received a chaste kiss that halted her off her senses. She hadn't noticed, but Gray had swiftly leaned down to capture her lips with his, nibbling softly on her bottom lip before decidedly pulling away. He had been with her long enough to know just what kiss to use to disarm her and unravel her completely, and this short, breathtaking kiss was it.

When he had pulled back, he lifted the paper up for her to see. "You're not number ten."

She looked incredulous. "What do you mean? It's clearly written there," she retorted, pointing to the sheet of paper. Her anger had fizzled dramatically, thanks to his use of that darned kiss. Now she was more mildly irritated, mainly because she was not supposed to have given in so quickly. Damn it.

His lips curved into a smile, Gray flipping the page upside down to reveal something else. "01, you're not tenth, you're first."

She blinked. "Huh?"

He grinned sheepishly at her. "Mira asked me to write a list of girls I would date. Since it was Mira, and you know how she can be, I put Juvia as first and you as tenth so she would get the wrong idea. I didn't want her to matchmake us, I wanted us to get together in our own time, with no external help," he explained earnestly, reaching forward to play with a strand of her red hair.

When the lightbulb finally flicked on at the realization of his words, she was downright confused as to how to properly react. Sigh in relief that she wasn't tenth? Happily smile that she was first? Or become irritated with both him, for doing something so ridiculous, or at herself, for acting so ridiculous.

So she settled on her perfectly schooled expression of nonchalance. "Seriously Gray? You went through all that trouble?" She sighed deeply, "You should have just placed me first then. For the first time, I would not have minded Mira's intervention. At least we would have happened faster."

Gray shrugged. "Either way, I still got you in the end."

At this she smiled widely. "That you did."


End file.
